Awning



June 28, 1932. F M. HRISTIAN 1,865,083

AWNING Fi-led March 5, 1929 fNvsNrozz Patented June 28, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE AWNING Application filed March 5, 1929. Serial No. 344,244.

The invention has particular reference to awnings and the means designed to support awnings in operable position, i. e., in either extended or folded position, but as will be readily seen, the invention may be employed in various other ways, as in supporting collapsible tops for vehicles. This invention is an improvement of my former inventions, for which patents were issued to me January 14, 1913, and which bear Serial No. 1,050,340 and No. 1,050,341 and is treated as such in the subsequent description and appended claims.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved structure to support awnings and the like, a structure that will permit a greater spread per unit of drop than has heretofore been possible.

Another object is to provide'an awning support that is adjustable to provide for varying heights of awning fronts without disturbing the awning fixtures.

A still further object is to provide an awning structure that may be folded more compactly than has heretofore been possible.

Advantages of my improved awning support are simplified construction, lowered cost in manufacture and greater ease in operation.

Other objects and advantages of my invention may be observed from the accompanying drawing, subjoined detailed description and the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved awning support.

Fig. 2 is a plan view one of the supports.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of fragments of the supporting arms, showing a modified mode of attachment to the supporting base.

partially in section of Fig. 4 is a plan view of a supporting arm and its base, showing spring means to aid in the extension of the awning.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation on line m5, Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of an awning supporting structure in extended position.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation showing a modified form of awning support.

Referring to the drawing: Fig. 1, it will mounting the plate 5 is designed to carry adjustable eye bolts 7 to which supporting arms 9 and 10 are pivotally attached by means of bolts 11 and 12. The arms 9 and 10 extend forwardly in converging angles and are pivotally joined to the link 13 by means of pivots 1 1 and 15. The link 13 is downwardly inclined and is pivotally joined at 16 to the outer bar 17 Intermediate the inner end of the outer bar and the supporting arm 10 a link 18 is pivotally joined to the arm 10 by pivot 19 and to the outer bar by means of a pivot 20.

In actual practice,an awning set-up comprisestwo such supporting structures and between the extreme ends of the outer bars is positioned a transverse member 21, over which the free end of the awning 2 hangs.

In Fig. 1., the awning is shown as a complete operative structure in which 22 is the take-up or roller, driven by gears 23 by means of a hand power shaft 24.

To aid and facilitate the lowering of awnings that have a small drop, the spring 25 is used, and as one means of attachment, Fig. 4, the bolts 11 are formed with square sections 26 around which are placed a series of turns 27 of the spring thus providing a good and sufiicient anchorage while the opposite, or

free end is allowed to bear upon the arm 10.

Thus it will be seen that as the arm 9 is raised, the finger 28 of the spring will be under tension and that as the awning, is lowered the spring tension will manifest itself by bearing .90

down upon the arm 10, thus aiding in extending the awnings.

In practice it is found that all awnings do not need the spring attachment above referred to, but it is primarily used in cases where the drop is small in comparison with the extent of overhang; in many cases the drop is as small as eighteen inches. Further, I find in practice that it is not always necessary to provide for height adjustment and accordingly, I have shown in Fig. 3, a mode of attachment that does not include the adjustable means, but in which the supporting arm is pivoted directly to the base member 5.

In Fig. 7, I show a modified form of awning support which includes a supporting plate 5 to which are pivotally attached the supporting arms 29 and 30 by means of eye bolts 31 and .32. To the outer ends of the arms 29 and 30 is hingedly secured a bar 34L and to the forward end of which a transverse member 35 is attached. The member 35 serves as does member 21 to hold the awning shade 2 in extended position. This form of construction is extremely easy to operate and is particularly adapted to the smaller installation as in private homes, etc.

I claim:

1. An awning supporting framework comprising, a bracket in fixed position, upper and lower substantially parallel bars in hinged relation to said bracket, upper and lower converging bars, said upper converging bar being pivoted at its inner end to the upper parallel bar and pivoted at a point near its inner end to said lower parallel bar, an outer bar adapted to support an awning rail, said outer bar being in hinged relation to said upper converging bar at a point near the inner end of said outer bar, said lower converging bar being hinged to the inner end of said outer bar and at a point near the upper end of the lower parellel bar.

2. In an awning support, the combination of a base member, a pair of arms of unequal length being pivoted to said base, a second pair of arms, one of said second pair of arms being hinged to one of said unequal arms, intermediate its ends, the other of said second pair of arms being hinged to the second arm of said pair of arms and having one of the arms of unequal length iulcrumed intermediate its length, said second pair of arms being adapted to hingedly support a single arm whereby one end of an outer bar will be predeterminedly positioned in respect to the base member.

3. In an awning support, the combination of a base member, a pair of arms of unequal length being pivoted to said base, a second pair of arms, one of said second pair of arms being hinged to one of said unequal arms intermediate its ends, the other of said second pair of arms being hinged to the second arm of said pair of arms and having one of the arms of unequal length fulcrumed intermediate its length, said second pair of arms being adapted to hingedly support a single arm whereby one end of an outer bar will be predeterminedly positioned in respect to said base member, and means to selectively adjust the relative position of the arms of unequal length.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification at Los Angeles, Calif., this 26th day of February, 1929.

FRANK M. CHRISTIAN. 

